Voices in the Halls
by zabeth0322
Summary: Every facial expression she ever made, he had memorized, but this was the one he had never wanted to see again. Oneshot, inspired by "Voices in the Halls" by Neon Trees, character death, some violence.


It was never supposed to be like this, Natsu thought. He sat huddled up in a ball, as closed in on himself as he could. The empty and ravaged guild hall was a small part of the gouge in the earth that had been Magnolia City up until yesterday. The deep scar held no buildings, no people, only rubble. This week was supposed to be a week of preparation for a summer festival. He could still hear her voice as she told him about it one night he crashed at her apartment. She poured them glasses of lemonade and spoke about all the stalls and booths that would line the streets and the fireworks they'd shoot into the air.

Thinking about it now, Natsu could almost taste the bittersweet drink, the tang that made it different from the kind Mira made. And thinking made him remember.

That name, any name, brought Natsu back to the events of just a few hours ago and he thought could hear the voices in the halls.

The heady scent of fire and smoke burned through his being, adrenaline pulsed in his veins as he set out on his 'mission': Steal that book. The dark haired guy kept throwing curses and walls of thorns at him, but Natsu was able to dodge them all. It was like he knew where they'd go before the dark man even cast his curse. Ignoring his sense of familiarity, Natsu pressed on; there were questions he wanted answers to and a face he needed to pound in. His sensitive ears could hear the screeching of Acnologia in surround sound and the rushing noise of his father's plumes of flame.

His opponent was losing ground and Natsu landed a blazing iron fist in his face. While he still clutched the book, the mage got a far off and crazed look in his eyes that caused Fairy Tail's number one destroyer of public property to pause. The man snapped back to attention and charged at Natsu. As the dragon slayer sat back in his stance to receive his attacker, suddenly, the man was past him. That moment caused Natsu to stutter step before giving chase.

With a boost of flames, he bore down on the villain knocking him flat on his back. Suddenly, there was a blinding explosion of light and all he could hear was screaming. So much screaming that it turned into a kind of white noise. He could hear the guttural groans of pain that could only be made by dragons and he could hear the shrieks of agony of humans. One of those humans was very close and very female.

He himself felt pain erupt from his core, racing along every nerve ending, cramping and constricting. It felt like someone had cut opened his Second Origin and was bleeding him dry. His magic was being physically, brutally ripped from his being and somehow that felt even more painful than when his soul was going to be stolen earlier that day.

It felt like the blinding brightness had died down, but Natus couldn't see for the spots in his vision. He felt physically ill; he felt like he wanted to die, but his opponent was still in trapped beneath him in his grip with a broken arm courtesy of Natsu's pained convulsing. As the blurs cleared and his eyes dilated, a deathly silence fell thick as fog around his ears. The dark haired man simply cackled, eyes bloodshot and wide with hysteria.

The book he was supposed to steal was open.

Then pain. More pain. Did he even have any pain receptors anymore? How could one experience the worst pain of their life and then experience something a hundred times worse? His mind went numb from trying to process it all and he wasn't sure he was conscious anymore.

Until he was.

Suddenly, everything was crisp and clear, not a thing out of focus or unheard. He could feel the blood running through the veins of the demon he held to the ground. He could feel the deep loss of magic in the area around him, but this didn't sadden him. He felt _glad._

He felt _good._ He felt powerful.

Letting go of the King of the Underworld, he stood and coolly gazed over the ravine-like tear in the earth that was wrought by the previous battle of dragon kin. On a lower level, he could see bodies of insignificant mages twitching. He could hear that some of their hearts still beat.

The King of the Underworld, keeper of his book, came to stand next to him.

"Some maggots are surprisingly sturdy. Shall I eliminate them, Master?"

"No, I'll do it." And with a single sigh, the flames of hell were unleashed. And once they started burning, they would not stop until he did, such was his power.

"NOOOO!"

The high pitched cry reverberated in the air above the malicious cackling of his flames. Marde Guille's reaction was instantaneous; chains of thorns burst from the rubble and the rose-haired man heard a strangled whimper before turning around to face the fly caught in the net.

He didn't bat an eye at the bloodied blonde.

The thick spikes dug into the delicate skin of the human and he could see a zodiac symbol sizzling off of her skin. When Face activated, she must have used the power of the Celestial beings. That Celestial King was far too meddlesome. He approached her and ripped the thorny bramble that blocked her mouth. She wheezed and coughed, sputtering blood.

"You have a complaint about what I do with pathetic humans and mages? Speak!" His voice was rough, but low and menacing.

The woman tilted her head up as best she could, staring unafraid into his pure black slits.

"Natsu, why? You'd never hurt nakama-" He smacked her across the face hard enough to open a welt on her cheekbone. Nakama? They were filthy humans playing games with magic while the true power and potential lied in curses. "Natsu, please-!"

"Don't address me like you know me, human," he leaned closer. Whether it was because of failing strength or something else, she leaned down closer to him as well.

"But I do know you… Natsu." His old name was punctuated by his clawed hand extending through her abdomen. As the red rain fell gently on his outstretched arm and face, her golden head fell forward. "I lov-" Her body shook with the trauma and blood loss as she slid down his arm and kissed him.

It wasn't much but a brushing of lips, but suddenly, Natsu again felt like the world was collapsing in on him. Was that blood? What… Lucy? Why was she..? Oh gods, she was… and his hand… A million memories were racing through his head.

Walking together.

Going on jobs.

Using her as a much more pleasant way to ward off motion sickness.

Secretly reading her stories while she was in the shower.

Staying up late talking about their latest mission.

Sneaking into her bed.

Falling asleep next to her.

Waking up in her arms.

Pretending to be asleep until she woke up in the morning.

Hearing her voice.

Hearing Lucy's voice.

Lucy.

Flashes of scenes he cherished and despised everywhere in between. Every trial and every triumph. Every facial expression she ever made, he had memorized, but this was the one he had never wanted to see again.

He needed to stop thinking. He needed to _do_ something. He needed to hit something. He tried to ignore the way her body slumped to the ground bonelessly as his eyes followed the strands of thorns back to their owner.

Protect the future.

It's always more fun when we're together.

The last battle was over before it even began. The demon's body was grotesquely strewn across the stone, manic eyes unseeing into the darkening sky. Natsu vomited repeatedly before he could bring himself to go back to Lucy's side.

She was so pale and looked even paler with the dark red life pooling below her. Natsu sobbed and convulsed violently as he rocked back and forth next to her body. He couldn't bring himself to touch her, not when the last time he did was what killed her. Her crested hand had fallen over the gaping arm-shaped hole in her stomach, as though the innocent pink mark and all it stood for and meant to him could cover up his sin.

And that's what it was. A sin.

Natsu knew that for the rest of his life, he'd be alone, only hearing her voice in the halls.

* * *

><p>AN: Oh man the angst and sadness… I was listening to Voices in the Halls by Neon Trees and wrote this in about an hour and half… so there are probably some mistakes. I wanted to get it out before the next chapter, though, and I'll be without a computer. I'm not sure it's as tear-jerking as Light of the Stars, but I think I still like it. So dark…

Please review and let me know what you think! I am working on a longer Fairy Tail project – think Fairy Tail spy organization—but I won't post until it's done which may be a long while. Because I don't work in writing and I have both a full-time job and I'm working on my Master's, I don't want to be under a lot of pressure.

~zabeth


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